Unlocking device for shutters.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

A. ENSORL UNLOGKING DEVICE FOR. SHUTTERS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOI? flZZerZEmar WITNESSES.

A TTORNEYS PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

A.ENSOR. UNLOGKING DEVICE FOR SHUTTERS,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR filari Zrzsar ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

Patented February 21, 1905.

ATENT @rrrcn.

ALBERT ENSOR, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

UNLOCKING DEVICE FOR SHUTTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,252, dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 225,959.

To an whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT ENsoR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Unlocking Device for Shutters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to iron sh utters such as are used on the windows of factories, warehouses, storage-houses, office-buildings, and

other structures; and its object is to providea new and improved unlocking device for such shutters arranged in case of a fire within the building to give an alarm and to bring the controlling device for the shutter-lock Within reach of the firemen or other authorized persons to permit such persons to readily unlock and open the shutters from the outside to gain convenient access to the source of the fire whenever it is deemed necessary.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement as applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged crosssection of the retaining device for the pullchain. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the improvement on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an inverted sectional plan view of the same on the line 4 t of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of the connection between the fusible plug and the flexible connection, the section being on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan View of the locking device for the shutter,the section being on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the same.

The hinged shutters A A for each window of a building B are locked when in a closed position by a locking device arranged on the inside of the shutters and consisting of a swing-arm (J, adapted to engage keepers C, secured to the shutters A A at the inside thereof to hold the 5 said shutters in a locked position when closed,

as plainly shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 7. The arm C is secured on the inner end of a pivot or shaft C journaled in the shutter A, and on the outer end of this pivot is secured an arm C", located directly opposite the arm 0 and connected with one end of a chain or cable D, extending from the said arm U upwardly and over a pulley E, journaled on the shutter A. The chain after leaving the pulley E passes through a retaining device F, held on the shutter A adjacent to the pulley E, and then the chain passes through an opening G into a casing Gr, fastened to the wall of the building B adjacent to the shutter A. Within the casing G is journaled a pulley H, on which is wound the doubled-up chain D so that the entire chain can readily unwind from the said pulley H and disengage the same, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4E. The end of the chain D extends through the opening G to the outside and into the branch pipe I of a stand-pipe I, erected on the outside of the building B, as plainly indicated in Fig.1. On the terminal of the chain D is held a weight D, normally lying within the branch pipe. I and adapted to slide in the branch pipe in to the stand-pipe I to drop down the same to the bottom thereof and to carry the chain D along, the latter passing through slots I and I formed in the sides of the standpipe I and the corresponding branch pipe I. As shown in Fig. 1, one single stand-pipe I is employed and a number of branch pipes I lead from this stand-pipe to the casings G for the several shutters on the outside of the building and located one above the other.

The terminal of the chain D and its weight D are normally held in position by a short chain D having a ring or hook D hooked onto one end of a lever J, fulcrumed at J in the upper end of the branch pipe I. (See Fig. 3.) The lever J is connected with one end of a chain K, first extending downwardly around a pulley K, journaled in the casing Gr, and then the chain extends upwardly and passes through a pipe G which leads from the top of the casing G through the wall of the building to the inside thereof to extend out or along the ceiling, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5. The inner end of the chain K is provided with a rod K connected with a fusible plug L of any approved construction, so that readily locate the floor of the buildingand the the plugLholds the chain K, and consequently the lever J, short chain D terminal of the chain D, and the weight D in position; but in case the fusible plug L is melted by a fire within the building then the rod K becomes detached from the fusible plug, and consequently the chain K and lever J are released to allow the weight D to slide down the inclined branch pipe I into the stand-pipe I to When this takes drop to the bottom thereof. place, the chain D completely unwinds from the pulley H. When the weight 1) reaches the bottom of the stand-pipe I, the chain D is still in engagement with the retaining device F, so that the locking device for the shutters A A is not affected by the movement of the weight D and its chain D, as above described. Now the fireman or other authorized person can take hold of the chain D at the ground and pull on the same, so as to disengage the chain from the retaining device F, and then by another pull the chain swings the arm C upward, and with it the arm C, to disengage the latter from the keepers C to unlock the shutters A A. A further pull on the chain will cause the shutter A to swing open to enable the fireman to gainaccess to the building and to the source of the fire.

The retaining device F above mentioned is preferably of the construction shown in detail in Fig. 2that is, the retaining device is provided with a block F, secured to the chain D and clamped between jaws F and F, of which the jaw F is fixed to the shutter A and the jaw F is hinged to the shutter at F* and is pressed on by a spring F. By the fireman exerting a pull on the chain D in the direction of the hinged jaw F the latter swings open to allow the block F to pass out of the aws.

When the weight D drops to the bottom of the stand-pipe I, it moves in engagement with the contact-plates N and N of an electric circuit containing an alarm O, located in the oflice of the building or at an alarm-station, it being understood that the contact-plates N and N have their wires N N connected with a source or electrical energy N, such as a battery, and the alarm O is located in one of the circuit-wires-for instance, as shown in Fig. 1, inthe circuit-wire I The lower end of the stand-pipe I is preferably in the form of a casing 1*, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the fireman can readily reach into the casing to take hold of the weight and chain for disengaging the weight from the contact-plates to stop the alarm and for enabling the fireman to pull on the chain D, as previously explained, with a view to unlocking the shutter and pulling the same open.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the unlocking device is moved into action the connected fusible plug L is melted by the fire, and consequently the fireman can place where the fire originated on this floor, so as to gain quick access to the source of the fire by manipulating the chain, which has dropped, as previously explained. It is fur ther understood that the shutters A and A remain locked when the chain is dropped, but

said shutter and its lockingdevice, and means for holding the said controlling device normally suspended, the said controlling device when released dropping within reach of an operator to enable the latter to unlock and open the shutter.

2. An unlocking device for shutters, comprising a flexible connection with the locking device of the shutter, and a fusible plug connected with the said flexible connection, for holding the latter suspended in an inactive position.

3. An unlocking device for shutters, comprising a flexible connection with the locking device of the shutter, a fusible plug connected with the said flexible connection, for holding the latter suspended in an inactive position, and an alarm adapted to be sounded by the said flexible connection on release of the latter by the said fusible plug.

4. An unlocking device for shutters on buildings, comprising a flexible connection connected with the locking device for the shutter, a fusible plug for holding the said flexible connection in a suspended inactive position, a stand-pipe on the building, for the'passage of the flexible connection, and an electric alarm having contact-plates in the said standpipe for engagement by a member of the said flexible connection, to close the circuit for the alarm.

5. An unlocking device for shutters on buildings, comprising a slotted stand-pipe on the building and provided with a slotted inclined branch pipe, a chain connected at one end with the locking device of the shutter and provided at its outer end with a weight normally resting in the said branch pipe and adapted to travel down the said stand-pipe, a pulley on which a portion of the chain is wound up, a suspending device for the end of the chain at the said weight, and a fusible plug engaging the said suspending device. I

6. An unlocking device for shutters on buildings, comprising a slotted stand-pipe on the building and provided with a slotted'inclined branch pipe, a chain connected at one end with the locking device of the shutter and provided at its outer end with a weight normally resting in the said branch pipeand adapted to travel down the said stand-pipe, a

pulley on which aportion of the chain is wound up, a suspending device having a cast-ofl' lever having a suspending connection with the weighted end of the chain, a fusible plug, and a connection between the said fusible plug and the said lever.

7. An unlocking device for shutters on buildings comprising a flexible connection connected with the locking device for the shutter, a fusible plug for holding the said flexible connection in a suspended inactive position, a stand-pipe on the building, for the pas sage of the flexible connection, and a retaining device for holding the said flexible connection in position after being released by the fusible plug and passed down the standpipe.

8. An unlocking device for shutters on a building comprising a normally suspended flexible connection connected with the shutter-locking device, and a retaining device for holding the flexible connection against actuating the said locking device when released.

9. An unlocking device for shutters on a building, comprising a normally suspended flexible connection connected with the shutter-locking device, and a retaining device for holding the flexible connection against actuating the said locking device when released, the said retaining device consisting of a block in the flexible connection and a spring clamping device for clamping the block in place.

10. An unlocking device for shutters on a building, comprising a normally suspended flexible connection connected with the shutter-locking device, and a retaining device for holding the flexible connection against actuating the said locking device when released, the said retaining device consisting of ablock in the flexible connection and a spring clamping device for clamping the block in place, attached to the shutter. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT ENSOR.

Witnesses:

TI-IEO. Gr. HosTER, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

